Inslee should back Wyman's pre-paid ballot request

Our View columns are the consensus opinion of the Kitsap Sun's editorial board, written by the editor. The 2018 board is David Nelson, editor; Jim Campbell, opinion editor emeritus, and community members Allen Banks, Lanell Borelli, Redge Campbell, Shelley Kneip, Paul Nash and Peggy Templeton.

King County's participation rate last fall for registered voters — 39.9 percent in November's general election — wasn't much higher than Kitsap County (38.1) or even the statewide rate (35.6). But the King County Council this week decided to spend some money to try and bump that number up a bit.

So this year they'll spend about $381,000 to give each registered voter a pre-paid return envelope and ostensibly make it simpler to get that vote turned in, in an effort to increase turnout during a year where we'll see state legislative races and possibly some initiatives on the ballot. (Filing week starts Monday, so a week from now we'll know exactly which names you'll see on the ballot.)

However, the action by King County jumped ahead of a state plan under negotiation to pay for everyone's mail-in votes. That means if the King County Council's hunch is correct — and we believe it will boost participation — the number of ballots coming from that county could further dwarf the rest of the state in the Aug. 1 primary and November general. Even a three-percentage point increase in turnout for King, as an example using a moderate estimate, would on its own top the total expected turnout for all of Mason County. For those who like to complain about Seattle's outsized influence on state issues, how do you think this will play?

That's why we're joining the voices in support of Secretary of State Kim Wyman, who has asked Gov. Jay Inslee to spend $2 million from an emergency fund account to reimburse all of Washington’s counties for providing pre-paid ballot-return envelopes during the 2018 elections. According to the Kitsap County Auditor's Office, it would cost between $30,000 and $35,000 to provide postage for the approximately 165,000 registered voters here.

Inslee's office has acknowledged it is working with Wyman on such a plan, and we hope they come to agreement soon. Providing an even playing field across the state is key to ensuring fairness in elections. For instance, the 1st Legislative District includes portions of both King and Snohomish counties. What if the election there comes down to a few votes, and King residents have the advantage of not having to search for postage or find a drop box? Maybe spending 49 cents on a stamp seems trivial, but in today's world it's not surprising to hear that people don't keep a book of stamps at home. And homebound voters always face an obstacle in dropping off a ballot at the limited number of drop locations. (To its credit, Kitsap County Auditor Dolores Gilmore has been increasing that number, and now 17 are listed for 2018.)

Frankly, the implementation of paid postage should have been done statewide in the first place. The cost is nearly insignificant in the context of all state spending and the importance of open and participatory elections. But if King County's action is the leverage it takes to get this done — and provides the momentum for the Legislature to enshrine the expenditure as permanent practice in all counties — we can accept the maneuver.

We encourage the governor to make an impact statement about access to democracy, and work with the Secretary of State to make 2018's election as uniform and fair as possible for all residents of our state.